Casing for the controlled plugging by means of plugging guns and the like apparatus



1963 J. B. DE COURTEIX 3,110,032

CASING FOR THE CONTROLLED PLUGGING BY MEANS OF PLUGGING GUNS AND THE LIKE APPARATUS Filed April 5, 1961 INVENT OR JOSEPH BARB/ER DE COURT/X Unite The present invention relates to plugging guns.

Plugging guns are used to drive a plugging missile into material.

Such a technique is well-known in the art, but involves certain problems relating, in particular, to the predetermined limitation of the length of engagement of the missile in any material particularly, in material having a low resistance to penetration. The apparatus according to the invention insures that penetration of the missile will be to a limit depth. The apparatus further permits using missiles of different diameters with the same plugging gun.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a plugging gun comprising a tube having an axial opening and a casing frictionally supported within the opening. The casing is provided with a bore which opens externally thereof and a missile, of smaller diameter than the bore, is supported in the casing in free sliding fashion. An elastic ring is provided within the bore and the ring frictionally engages the missile to retain the same within the bore. The missile is longer than the bore and projects from the casing. The missile is adapted for moving with the casing under the action of an impact force which is developed by an explosion of a cartridge to penetrate into material to a depth corresponding to the distance of extension of the missile from a casing at which time the casing contacts the material and thereby limits the penetration of the missile. Thereafter, the casing and the elastic ring are removable from the missile to leave the missile projecting in exposed manner from the material for a length which corresponds to the length of the bore in the casing.

In order to permit a better understanding of the invention the accompanying drawing illustrates, by way of example, preferred embodiments of said invention. In said drawing:

FIG. 1 is an axial cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the casing illustrated as positioned inside the projecting tube of a plugging gun.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the casing and the missile subsequent to firing of the gun.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a driven missile.

FIG. 4 is an axial cross-section of a second embodiment of the casing inside which a missile is positioned.

FIG. 5 is an axial cross-section of a third embodiment of the casing shown positioned in the tube of a plugging gun.

FIG. 6 is an external View of the casing of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an external view of a casing combined with a yielding fitting.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a casing 1 of cylindrical shape corresponding substantially to a bore of the barrel 17 of a plugging gun. The outer diameter of said casing 1 is such as to permit an easy sliding fit of the casing 1 inside said barrel 17.

The casing 1 is closed at end 11 while the outer end 12 is open. The inner diameter of the recess 13 in the casing 1 corresponds to the diameter of a plugging missile pin 14.

A fitting 19 surrounds a section of the missile pin 14 Patented Nov. 12, 1963 ice and frictionally engages the barrel 17 to thereby hold the missile pin 14 together with the casing 1 inside the barrel 17 before firing.

It is apparent that upon explosion of the cartridge 15 an explosive thrust is exerted on the casing which in turn bears against the missile pin. Obviously, on the other hand, the penetration of the missile pin 14 into the material 18 to be plugged is limited to the length L of the missile pin which projects forwardly of the casing 1.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the exposed length L of the missile pin 14 permits the fastening with a force fit, of collars 20 which in turn hold in position tubes or wires 23. The pin 14 over the length L is preferably provided with a suitably rough surface obtained for example by flutings, grooves, or the like, such that the collars are held and locked in position on the missile pin.

It is of interest also to note that it is possible to provide for a particular gun barrel 17, a series of different casings 1 all having the same outer diameter but provided with different size inner recesses 1 so as to enable utilization of missile pins of corresponding differing sizes, whereby one of a plurality of sizes of pins may be plugged by the same plugging gun.

There may also be provided apparatus, such as rings of the same outer size as the casing 1, and which may be fitted inside the gun barrel in front of said casings, for reducing the plugged length of the missiles.

Other embodiments of the casings are concerned with retaining, on the one hand, the missile pin inside the casing and, on the other hand, the casing inside the gun barrel, particularly when the barrel 17 is directed downwardly towards the ground.

To this end, the casing 2 illustrated in FIG. 4 includes a magnetized plug 3 secured to the bottom of the recess 21. The magnetic action of the plug or ring holds the missile pin inside the casing.

The closed end of the casing is also provided with a knob-shaped terminal section 22 over the restricted portion of which is fitted, with a force fit, a slotted fitting 4 of a yielding, preferably plastic material. The fitting 4- is frictionally inserted inside the projecting tube or bar rel, so as to hold the casing in position, without prevent ing movement thereof during firing. Upon firing, the thin annular edge of the fitting 4 is urged against the wall of the barrel 17 and absorbs the greater portion of the thrust. A new fitting 4 may be readily engaged over the knob-shaped section 2 of the casing for each missile plugging operation.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the missile pin 14 is held inside the casing 5 by one or more rings 6 made of yielding material with radial partitions 16 engage under slight pressure the end of the missile pin 14 which is thus retained inside the casing. A bolt 7 is screwed into the closed end of the casing and al lows inserting of the rings 6.

The casing 5 is held inside the projecting tube or barrel of the plugging gun by means, for instance, of an elastic annulus 8 supported in an annular groove in the periphery of the casing, as shown in FIG. 6. The annulus 8 is in frictional contact with the barrel 17. When the casing is fitted inside the barrel, the annulus 8 is compressed and frictionally engages the tube, so as to hold the casing in position.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, it is possible to engage a fitting 10 of elastic material over the rear end of the casing, for instance over a bearing surface 24 formed on the casing 9 and over which the fitting is urged with a limited force fit. A fitting of the above type acting frictionally inside the barrel may be of any known type and, in particular, and as illustrated in FIG. 7.

The casings are made preferably of any material of suitable hardness, such as hard steels or alloy steels.

The features and advantages of the invention are clearly apparent from the description and drawings. Obviously, and as already mentioned, the invention is by no means limited to the specific embodiments described hereinabove and the invention covers all the modifications falling within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. A plugging gun comprising a tube having an axial opening extending therealong, a casing, means frictionally supporting the casing in sliding fashion in the opening of the tube, means in the tube and positioned adjacent the casing for exerting an impact force on the casing, the casing being a solid rigid body provided with a bore opening externally thereof, means in said casing defining a closed end therefor, said casing being adapted for supporting a missile of smaller diameter than the bore in free sliding fashion in said bore, an elastic ring within said bore adjacent said closed end, said ring frictionally engaging the missile to retain the same within said bore and in contact with the means defining the closed end, the missile having a length greater than that of the bore and projecting from said bore in the direction of movement of the casing, said body being propelled under the action of the impact force to cause said rnissile to penetrate into material to a depth corresponding to the distance of extension of the missile from the body at which time said body contacts the material to thereby limit depth of penetration of the missile, whereby a length of missile corresponding to the length of the bore will be left to project from said material, said casing with the elastic n'ng being removable from said missile to leave said missile projecting in exposed --manner from the material.

2. A gun as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means frictionally supporting the casing comprises an elastic annulus on the casing in frictional engagement with the tube.

3. A gun as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bore in said casing is enlarged adjacent said closed end thereof, said ring being supported in the enlarged portion of the bore.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 157,378 Conner Dec. 1, 1874 599,472 Nobel Feb. 22, 1898 2,632,890 Tietig Mar. 31, 1953 2,663,259 Catlin Dec. 22, 1953 2,794,462 Frykman June 4, 1957 2,999,571 Huber Sept. 12, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,034,728 France Apr. 15, 1953 167,800 Australia June 6, 1956 211,642 Australia Nov. 28, 1957 567,900 Belgium June 14, 1958 

1. A PLUGGING GUN COMPRISING A TUBE HAVING AN AXIAL OPENING EXTENDING THEREALONG, A CASING, MEANS FRICTIONALLY SUPPORTING THE CASING IN SLIDING FASHION IN THE OPENING OF THE TUBE, MEANS IN THE TUBE AND POSITIONED ADJACENT THE CASING FOR EXERTING AN IMPACT FORCE ON THE CASING, THE CASING BEING A SOLID RIGID BODY PROVIDED WITH A BORE OPENING EXTERNALLY THEREOF, MEANS IN SAID CASING DEFINING A CLOSED END THEREFOR, SAID CASING BEING ADAPTED FOR SUPPORTING A MISSILE OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN THE BORE IN FREE SLIDING FASHION IN SAID BORE, AN ELASTIC RING WITHIN SAID BORE ADJACENT SAID CLOSED END, SAID RING FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING THE MISSILE TO RETAIN THE SAME WITHIN SAID BORE AND IN CONTACT WITH THE MEANS DEFINING THE CLOSED END, THE MISSILE HAVING A LENGTH GREATER THAN THAT OF THE BORE AND PROJECTING FROM SAID BORE IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE CASING, SAID BODY BEING PROPELLED UNDER THE ACTION OF THE IMPACT FORCE TO CAUSE SAID MISSILE TO PENETRATE INTO MATERIAL TO A DEPTH CORRESPONDING TO THE DISTANCE OF EXTENSION OF THE MISSILE FROM THE BODY AT WHICH TIME SAID BODY CONTACTS THE MATERIAL TO THEREBY LIMIT DEPTH OF PENETRATION OF THE MISSILE, WHEREBY A LENGTH OF MISSILE CORRESPONDING TO THE LENGTH OF THE BORE WILL BE LEFT TO PROJECT FROM SAID MATERIAL, SAID CASING WITH THE ELASTIC RING BEING REMOVABLE FROM SAID MISSILE TO LEAVE SAID MISSILE PROJECTING IN EXPOSED MANNER FROM THE MATERIAL. 